That is what we call a very successful debut! On the famous Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Comtoyou Racing distinguished itself in its very first race in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS. The #21 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II of Max Hofer, Nicolas Baert and Maxime Soulet won the Gold Cup class at the end of the three-hour race, finishing in a magnificent 7th place overall. Comtoyou Racing also took a clear victory in the Silver Cup with the #12 car of Finlay Hutchison, Loris Hezemans and Sam Dejonghe.
“More than the result itself, it is the way we did it that satisfies me most,” says Team Principal Jean-Michel Baert. “Of course, we have already detected some points which need to be improved in the future, but the team did a very fine job with a good strategy and very good pit stops. I am extremely proud of them!”
The only downside was that a mechanical failure prevented the #11 car from reaching the finish. “We know that this is still a mechanical sport,” said Sébastien Breuil, Comtoyou Racing’s GT project leader. “It was a wheel nut which broke at the end of the first hour. So it was not a mistake by the team and, if we look at the positive side, our car was the best placed Audi at the time. This proves that we have been performing well from the start, and our trio of Fred Vervisch, Gilles Magnus and Christopher Haase will be the ones to watch in forthcoming meetings.”
The #21 car of Max Hofer, Nicolas Baert and Maxime Soulet started from 22nd on the grid and made an impressive comeback to finish 7th overall, winning the Gold Cup category. “Seeing Comtoyou in GT is magical for me,” says Nicolas Baert. “I was already moved when I saw my Audi take to the track during the practice sessions, so you can imagine that this double class victory is a great moment. It is obvious that the team is growing! Compared to my two seasons in TCR, in 2020 and 2021, I feel more mature. The work is paying off and the contribution of Sébastien Breuil, in terms both of his rigour and of his experience, is bearing fruit. On a personal level, I know that I made a step forward during the winter and I was able to prove it, in particular by overtaking the BMW which was in front of me to take the lead in the Gold Cup. I cannot wait for the rest of the season!”